THE CHAFFINCH. 149 



country and work their way southward. On differ- 

 ent occasions, when crossing from London to Ostend, 

 Flushing, and Rotterdam, we have seen Chaffinches 

 travelling on all these routes, occasionally alighting 

 on our vessel to rest within a few yards of us, and 

 passing on again. 



Most small birds travel at night, as proved by 

 the numbers which are picked up at the lighthouses 

 and lightships, after dashing against the lights. 

 From the comparatively small number of Chaf- 

 finches which thus come to an untimely end, we 

 may infer that this bird prefers to travel by day or 

 at early dawn. Its flight, though undulating, is 

 tolerably rapid, and, except in hazy weather, it would 

 experience no difficulty whatever in crossing the 

 North Sea or the English Channel. 



When fairly settled down for the summer, the 

 actions of a pair of Chaffinches are most amusing, 

 especially should the observer be fortunate enough 

 to watch the operation of nest-building. Few birds 

 make a more beautiful nest than the Chaffinch, so 

 symmetrical, so compact, and so ornamental is it. 

 The materials usually employed are wool, moss, 

 and lichen ; but the proportions in which these are 



